73-Year-Old Man Goes Viral for a Sweet Reason — and Didn't Even Know His Daughter Was Posting About Him (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Roland Elliot-Berry is a living example that one is never too old to follow their dreams.

“I was horrified,” Elliot-Berry jokes in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on his initial reaction to learning about his daughter’s first TikTok post. “She never told me she was doing this.”

After working in the illustration industry for years, Elliot-Berry pivoted to opening a brewery, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to keep himself busy, he turned back to stained glass making and painting.

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When his daughter began recording his work on TikTok, Elliot-Berry gained a flood of commissions for his stained glass work and painted portraits. “I was thinking I was going to have a life of relaxation and taking life easy,” he recalls. “And suddenly I was very, very busy.”

In the U.K., where Elliot-Berry is from, stained-glass making has become an endangered craft which concerns the artist. As his work continues to be in high demand, Elliot-Berry hopes his classes will pave the way to keep the art form alive.

“My crusade is to try and encourage younger people to get involved and do it,” Elliot-Berry explains. “One of the lovely things about stained glass is the colors never fade and I find that magical.”

Now, Elliot-Berry conducts regular classes, both of big groups and individuals. Since going viral on TikTok, users have inquired about his services and encouraged him to keep going. “This is so beautiful,” writes one user. “I love his studio. The space is so warm and welcoming. Wishing nothing but the best for your father and his classes.”

Luckily for people interested in taking his class, Elliot-Berry has no plans to quit any time soon.

“I’m never going to retire,” he tells PEOPLE. “I don’t understand the concept of being bored. I’ve always got something to do. In fact, I’ve usually got far too much.”

source: people.com